Awards & Recognitions – Spring 2021
Level 4 Comprehensive Epilepsy Center
The Barrow Epilepsy Program continues to be recognized as a Level 4 Comprehensive Epilepsy Center after being re-accredited by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers.
Epilepsy centers recognized by the NAEC provide a comprehensive team approach to the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy. Level 4 is the highest level an epilepsy center can achieve.
Level 4 centers provide the more complex forms of intensive neurodiagnostic monitoring, as well as more extensive medical, neuropsychological, and psychosocial treatment. Level 4 centers also offer a complete evaluation for epilepsy surgery and a broad range of surgical procedures for epilepsy.
JNIS Editor-in-Chief
Felipe Albuquerque, MD, FAANS, an endovascular neurosurgeon at Barrow, accepted an offer to continue serving as editor-in-chief of the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery for another five years. Dr. Albuquerque first became editor-in-chief in 2017, after serving nine years as an associate editor for the journal. During his tenure, the number of submissions to the journal has quadrupled and its impact factor has climbed to 4.46.
“It’s an incredible honor for me to edit the JNIS, which has become the premier endovascular neurosurgical journal in the world,” Dr. Albuquerque said. “I am fortunate to work with a talented editorial board that represents interventionalists from around the world.”
R01 Grant for Traumatic Brain Injury
Ruchira Jha, MD, MSc, director of neurocritical care research at Barrow, has received an R01 grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to address existing knowledge gaps in a unique, key edema pathway in traumatic brain injury (TBI), known as Sur1-Trpm4.
Her long-term goal is to harness relevant individual data (genetic, molecular, imaging, physiologic) to advance precision medicine-based care for TBI edema and reduce the burden of this devastating neurological disease.
JNS Spine Cover
Artwork created by Barrow medical illustrator Peter M. Lawrence was selected for the cover of the May issue of Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine. Peter worked with Barrow neurosurgery resident Jakub Godzik, MD, and Barrow neurosurgeon Jay Turner, MD, PhD, on the illustration. It accompanies their paper entitled, “Impact of dual-headed pedicle screws on the biomechanics of lumbosacral junction multi-rod constructs.”
Ekso GT Clinical Advisory Board
Ekso Bionics, a manufacturer of robotic exoskeleton technology, has named two Barrow neuro-rehabilitation experts to its newly formed clinical advisory board. Trent Maruyama, OTR/L, CKTP, program director for neuro-rehabilitation technology, and Nathan West, PT, DPT, MBA, manager of outpatient neuro-rehabilitation, will provide Ekso Bionics with valuable feedback from the clinic to help the company improve its technology and best meet the needs of patients.
Resident Teaching Scholar Award
Daniel Gonzalez, MD, a senior adult neurology resident at Barrow, received a Resident Teaching Scholar Award from the Creighton University School of Medicine.
The Phoenix Regional Campus Class of 2021 nominated Dr. Gonzalez because of the impact he made on their third and fourth years of medical school.
Young Neurosurgeon Resident Award
Christina Sarris, MD, a PGY-6 neurosurgery resident, received the Byron Cone Pevehouse Young Neurosurgeon Resident Award from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) for her abstract entitled, “Implementation of a Novel Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Protocol for Transsphenoidal Surgery Improves Patient Outcomes and Hospital Financial Performance.” She will present her work at the 2021 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting in Orlando.
Scientific Paper Abstract Award
Joshua Catapano, MD, a PGY-6 neurosurgery resident at Barrow, received the Cerebrovascular Section Best Scientific Paper Abstract Award—Resident/Fellow from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) for his abstract entitled, “Cannabis use and delayed cerebral ischemia following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: a propensity-score adjusted analysis.” He will present his work at the 2021 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting in Orlando.
Resident Case Poster Award
Adult neurology resident Valerie Sharf, MD, earned an award for her poster presentation at the 25th Michael Grossman Academic Excellence Day, hosted by the University of Arizona College of Medicine—Phoenix. Dr. Sharf presented a case of SMART syndrome, which describes stroke-like migraine attacks after radiation therapy.
